One of the best ways to understand a career is to get in and experience it yourself. But in order to know if you want to even try your hand at something, you may find it helpful to hear stories about those that have been there and done that before you. I really do believe that reading a person’s story and journey to where they are today is truly inspirational. Many people take straight-and-narrow paths, while others have a bit more of a windy Yellow Brick Road experience. And that’s what makes these stories interesting.

The “Work It” section of SpaBeautySchools is a great place to find stories of those that have stories as to how they achieved success in their professional lives. Here, we have stories of an artistic colorist who is a master in his own trade, makeup artists who have been involved in special effects, and others. These are just some of the inspiring stories within our grand scope of concentrations on our site. But it makes sense to do your homework and read up on a potential new career possibility. And remember that career changes are possible and very popular these days. Though it may seem daunting to start from square one, once you get started on a new career, the time will fly by and you’ll get into your new life’s calling sooner than you think.

Research is key! Good luck in your search!

-Amanda Fornecker

Fashion week isn’t just about the clothes, you know. What about the makeup? In fact, the wrong kind of makeup can really ruin the look and theme of a runway. Let’s take a look at some of the looks created by Maybelline New York recently at New York Fashion Week for some Fall 2010 (yes, I said Fall) trends.

DAY 1: RVCA x Erin Wasson
Playful craziness and a touch of wacky ruled the roost at RVCA x Erin Wasson. Most notable, the feathered brow and heavily-lined bottom lip, which gave the look a bit of a “tribal” feel.

DAY 2: Michael Angel
Bright, colorfully-rimmed eyes captivated the runway at Michael Angel. Bold Lime green and deep jeweled blues added intensity, while earthy tones added depth against a fresh face. A neutral nude lip sealed the deal.

DAY 3: Vivienne Tam
Bare eyes and cheeks allowed for a bold red lip to steal the show at Vivienne Tam. The traditional femme fatale pairing of a luscious cherry pout and porcelain complexion was complemented perfectly by a more relaxed natural brow.

DAY 4: Custo Barcelona
Utter femininity was celebrated at Custo Barcelona. Flawless skin, arched brows, and a sheer, neutral shine on lips balanced the bold fashions that graced the runway.

DAY 5: Carlos Miele
Less was certainly more at Carlos Miele as Gato banished pinks and reds opting for nude all over. A shade range of barely-there hues contoured and polished faces for a natural, refined finish. A touch of mascara was applied just to roots of lashes to keep with the minimalist look.

DAY 5: Tracy Reese
Charlotte turned to intense color and texture for a “masculine-feminine” look at Tracy Reese. A carefully highlighted and illuminated face and toffee lip complimented and kept focus on eye-catching smoky, yet shiny, peepers. Chocolate and beige shadow hues and carbon black mascara and liner showcased strong eyes for the ultimate in glam style.

DAY 6: Max Azria
A punchy pop of orange was the talk of the tents backstage at Max Azria. Created specifically for the show, Charlotte doused the lip in the bold hue, which stood out against a dewy complexion, bare eyes, and naturally touched-up brows. Long, black lashes rendered a cat-like effect.

DAY 7: William Rast
For William Rast, Charlotte concocted an edgy, modernized Brigitte Bardot look. Fresh, flawless skin lended a platform to thick mega-lashes built up with layers of black mascara. Nearly-there nude lips were the finishing touch on a soft, sexy face.

Just because you’re a celebrity, doesn’t mean you don’t need to go to school. That’s what Serena Williams is proving right now. After returning from the Australian Open, the tennis star decided she wanted to become a nail technician, writing in her blog, “No one likes getting their nails done more than I do. As a matter of fact I go every four days to get a manicure and every seven days for a pedicure.”

Williams found that she wanted to really prepare for her new nail line with HairTech and felt that becoming a nail technician would help her develop her love for nails further. She found a school in her state of Florida and checked out how many hours she needed to complete in order to obtain her license to practice. For Florida, it’s 240 hours of nail technician school practice. Williams hopes to finish the nail technician school program within the next year, even though she notes that most people can finish the program in just six weeks. Hey, she’s a busy girl with a grueling tennis schedule. But it just goes to show you that even if you don’t have as much time as you’d like, you can still pursue one of your interests.

Williams prepared the night before for her big first day at nail technician school by getting some cute blue clothes (that’s the color she had to wear) and some accessories to reflect her personality from the Hello Kitty store. She wrote in her blog: “If I’m not the best, I sure do want to look like it. Not only do I plan on being the top student to graduate from my nail school, but I also intend on being the most fashionable!”

On her first day, Williams had to do a pedicure on another student and got quite a few compliments on her work. She was quite thrilled with her whole experience and is excited at the prospect of becoming a licensed nail technician. She says, “Don’t be surprised if you hear about a part time job I’ve picked up at a local nail salon.” Wouldn’t you be surprised?!

Researching schools is just the first step in the process. And if a celebrity can do it, so can you. Start your search today.

-Amanda Fornecker

So what do you do on a weekend where you find yourself in the midst of a record-breaking snowstorm? Sure, you can snuggle in bed and catch up on your shows or watch some of your favorite movies, but why not take advantage of this time to research a new career? And while I realize that most of you are not experiencing this record-breaking snowfall the way I am, you may still want to take your free time to check out these fun career paths.

As someone very interested in speech therapy, I am one to know the definite advantages of both occupational and physical therapy. This career is one in which you certainly help others feel better and rehabilitate. In fact, the National Opinion Research Center named physical therapy as the number two career in which its employees are most satisfied. Not too shabby!

A fitness school education may be extremely beneficial, especially during hard times like these. Lots of people who have been laid off have found themselves with a plethora of extra time and are taking this opportunity to get back in shape. That means that fitness instructors and maybe even personal trainers will be in higher demand. And the best part of a fitness career is that you get to stay in shape for a living!

For proof that you can change careers and still be successful, check out this beauty career story. Success stories don’t always come out of a first job, you know. The old saying goes: “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.” I think those are great words to live by. Keep up your dreams and go for what you really want. It’s the best way to be happy in life.

There are lots of reasons to go to nail school. Check out 10 reasons that we’ve come up with here at SBS. And those aren’t the only reasons. But it’s a good place to start so check them out!

Lastly, be sure to see some of the school profiles we’ve featured in beauty and spa/wellness…

Good luck, stay warm, and use your time wisely!

-Amanda Fornecker